A cross sectional study of stress and aggression among adolescent orphans

Abstract

Introduction: As the population in our country is increasing so as the orphan and abandoned children number. There are more than 25 million orphan or abandoned and about 44 million destitute children in India as per UNICEF 2012 report. An orphan’s life is very critical as they lack proper care and support leading to stressful events. Objective: To assess stress and aggression among orphans and to assess the relationship between stress and aggression in orphans. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 60 orphans (30 males and 30 females) at orphanage homes, Khammam, Telangana from January to July 2019. The samples were drawn using convenience sampling method. The study was conducted using Perceived Stress Scale and The Aggression Questionnaire post ethics committee approval. Results: The analysis revealed that female orphans (M=22.93) had significantly more stress than male orphans (M=20.4). No significant interaction effect found between gender in overall aggression but significance varied among sub traits of aggression. Results also showed that stress was positively correlated with aggression (r=.511). Conclusion: Stress and aggression are positively correlated among orphans so there is a need for attention regarding psychological problems through psychosocial management towards this vulnerable and neglected section of the society.